Abstract
Forty three European population samples of mealy aphids from various winter and summer host plants were attributed to respective species of Hyalopterus by means of their partial sequences of mitochondrial COI gene. Used Hyalopterus samples emerged as monophyletic relative to outgroup and formed three major clades representing three host specific mealy aphid species in the Neighbor joining, Maximum parsimony, Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference trees. Hyalopterus pruni and Hyalopterus persikonus emerged as a sister species, whilst Hyalopterus amygdali was located basally. Samples representing different clades in the molecular trees were used for canonical discrimination analysis based on twenty two morphological characters. Length of the median dorsal head hair enabled a 97.3 % separation of Hyalopterus amygdali from the remaining two species. No single character enabled satisfactory discrimination between apterous viviparous females of Hyalopterus pruni and Hyalopterus persikonus. A modified key for the morphological identification of Hyalopterus species is suggested and their taxonomic status discussed.
Highlights
Aphids of the genus Hyalopterus Koch are reported to be serious pests of stone fruits all over the World (Barbagallo et al 1997, Blackman and Eastop 2000, Lozier et al 2009)
Mealy aphids inhabiting various prunoideous plants have been described as a single species, Hyalopterus pruni (Geoffroy, 1762)
All three might inhabit reeds (Phragmites) as a summer hosts, but are different in their winter host specificity: H. amygdali is associated with almonds, whilst H. pruni and H. persikonus with plums and peaches, respectively
Summary
Aphids of the genus Hyalopterus Koch are reported to be serious pests of stone fruits all over the World (Barbagallo et al 1997, Blackman and Eastop 2000, Lozier et al 2009). Hyalopterus species, well-defined on molecular level (Lozier et al 2008), still remain difficult to separate by their morphological characters (Basky and Szalay-Marszό 1987, Blackman and Eastop 1994, 2000, 2006), including the most recent identification key (Lozier et al 2008). Host plant mediated developmental pathways might influence morphological characters, samples from reeds must be included in the analysis, together with those from stone fruit crops
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